"We present an experimental implementation of the Java Virtual Machine that runs inside the kernel of the Solaris operating system. The implementation was done by porting an existing small, portable JVM, Squawk, into the Solaris kernel. Our first application of this system is to allow device drivers to be written in Java. A simple device driver was ported from C to Java. Characteristics of the Java device driver and our device driver interface are described."

"Embedding a compiler in the kernel (the java vm is just a compiler + an interpreter after all) is just wrong IMNSHO"

I don't agree. If JVM is already there, there is nothing to prevent adding libraries and framework there, and that opens opportunities for more ideas. Don't forget, Dtrace is also(but not just) a compiler in kernel.